Barking at the Artificial Moon
by Griffin Stone
Summary: (Second-Generation fic) Life aboard the ATLAS is never dull, especially when you are Mutt Holt. Every day holds an adventure in the massive skyship, and Mutt is sure going to do his best to make sure every story is told.
1. About Me

**A/N: Seeing as how this is a "log" told by Mutt, this will be the only AN, unless I have something important to say.**

 **This is just going to be a series of cute stories revolving around my Holt kid OC's. I'll write chapters as I'm inspired and/or bored. Some of them might end up more serious. I'm going to try my best to keep this story compliant with Gravtron1's story, _Legacy,_ as this takes place in the year before hers.**

 _Sections written like this,_ **Can be read as footnotes scribbled into the margins of the page.**

* * *

All stories start at the beginning, right? Well, I guess I can't start there because I don't remember that far back…

Hm, how about my name first? My name is Mutt Lewis Holt. (Okay, that isn't my real first name, but it doesn't matter right now.)

My Dad and Mom's name is Matt Holt and Olia Dustpaw Holt. I was born on Earth, my dad's home planet. When I was five, Dad took a position on the skyskip IGF-ATLAS as a scientist, and the whole family came along!

 _I have never seen Mom's home planet of Cana. She doesn't like to talk about it, but it was destroyed when she was a pup._

I have two sisters. My older sister is Vista, and Luminaria (we call her Lumi) is my little sister.

Since anyone reading this might not know what I look like (which might be kind of weird. This is a journal, not a library book, so scat!) I guess that is the next thing I should say.

I look most like Mom. I've been compared to an "anthropomorphic dog," which I'm perfectly okay with! I'm covered with fur, and my tail _kind_ of works like an extra paw. My fur is chocolate brown and kind of fluffy. My eyes are light brown like Dad's. Mom's ears are erect, buy mine kind of flop over halfway.

Caneen don't just look like Earth dogs, we also have some of their characteristics. I can smell and hear much better than any human, though my eyesight isn't as good. I can move on just my feet or on all fours, and I can run faster and jump higher than most humans. We also whine or growl, depending on our emotions.

Although, I have some "dog habits" that are still unusual for Caneen. I can't control my tail when I'm happy, I tend to pant, and I'm easily distracted. Oh, and I carry stuff in my mouth. A lot. Mom says that she has seen most of those habits in other Caneen, but no more than one in a Caneen and that I'm the first one to carry things like that.

Vista tells me I'm special like that.

I'm almost sixteen years old, but in human terms, Mom thinks I'm younger. Which is weird, but not really? Vista is eighteen and Dad says that she totally acts her age. Lumi's fifteen (she was born just a couple pheobs before my first birthday) and she's way smart enough to be her age. The thing is, Caneen age much slower than humans and can live to be 700 deca-pheobs old! Mom says that I could be developing at a rate closer to a Caneen than a human, like my sisters. Dad's done some tests and says that my bones still have some development and growing to do. Despite this, I'm the tallest member of my family, at a couple inches taller than Dad.

Anyway, back to my home. The ATLAS is like a mobile base for an Earth organization called the Garrison. The massive ship is run mostly by humans, but there are a few aliens mixed in.

Olkari are the most common on the ship. The ATLAS is an awesome combination of the most modern technology and magic, and the Olkari are always trying to figure it out. There's a few Balmarans who like to travel who help in the holds with cargo. The engine rooms are mostly run by the tough Skronians.

 _Skronians are very similar to ants. If ants were seven feet tall and built like a Balmaran. They have two sets of arms and thick feet with no sorts of toes and one single claw. Their thick hides can take any intensity of fire, and tough enough so that the occasional explosion in the engines won't injure them! And, coolest of all, they can control fire!_

The ATLAS is mainly full of adults, but there are some kids. Some are learning to work on the engines, some help with the cleaning and basic maintenance, and others like Lumi help with the scientific research. And, of course, my friends and I are runners. (More on my friends and runners soon!)

For as long as I can remember, the ATLAS has been on the move. We go from planet to planet, sometimes for research, but other times we pick up a lot of injured aliens and we bring them to Olkarion.

Mom says there is a war going on. I'm not sure against who or what, but the ATLAS plays a key role our allies being able to get supplies and getting the injured to safety.

That's what Mom says when I ask, anyway.

The ATLAS is so big, that I still get lost after eleven years! Dad keeps giving me a GPS, but I lose that all the time.

I, uh, I kind of lose stuff a lot.

But! The good thing about not knowing every nook and cranny of the skyship, is that anything can happen any day when I explore a new section with my friends or Lumi!

And that is what this log is for.


	2. Finding Lumi

The first adventure starts with a surprisingly common phrase in my family's dorms.

"I can't find Lumi."

I look up from my lunch, a weird mixture of red meat and purple fruit that tastes kind of like ham and eggs.

Dad's just come out of his personal lab. As usual, he has shadowed eyes from too many late nights and he's shifting from foot to foot from too many cups of coffee. His coveralls are coated with oil. He's grinning sheepishly, probably because this is the third time this movement that Lumi snuck off while he was watching her.

Mom just shakes her head at Dad and steers him to the table to make him sit down. She already has a plate ready for him and milk instead of coffee. Dad thanks her with a little kiss (gross!) and starts to eat.

Meanwhile, Mom puts Lumi's lunch into a plastic container. As she returns to the table, she uses her tail to pull off Vista's headphones.

"Hey!" Vista scrambles for her headphones while trying to keep an eye on whatever conversation she is having on her phone.

Unlike me, Vista looks almost completely human. Her hair is more like fur -though it only grows on top of her head- and the skin on her feet and palms are thicker than a normal human. She always wears "fashionable" clothes, which makes no sense. If you have to cover your clothes anytime you work, what's the point?

"Lunch first," Mom says, laying the headphones to the side. "Mutt, eat."

Distracted by my family, I had completely forgotten that I was eating. Grinning, I returned to my food. Then I remembered Lumi.

"Hey, aren't we making a research stop today?" I ask.

"We are, so I need you to track down Lumi," Mom says.

My ears prick forward at that. "Really?"

"It would be a big help," Mom says with a smile as Dad's head starts to bob before he is even halfway done. "I'll put your dad's work together. Vista, the docking crews are going to need you when it comes time to dock the ships."

"Whatever," Vista mutters, ducking her head.

Some of the less advanced ships we meet can't hover in the hangers and land, instead the docking crew flies out in smaller ships that attach to the other ships and fly them inside.

Vista is part of the docking crew, and one of the best. Even though she technically shouldn't fly a docking ship alone until she's twenty-one, she sometimes allowed to go alone if the docking crew is low on hands.

She just kind of prefers to talk to her friends from back on Earth.

"Work hard, young lady," Mom says, giving Vista's short hair an affectionate ruffle.

Vista is quick to duck away from Mom's paw with a complaining, "Mom!"

"I'm ready!" I say as I push my empty plate back.

I leap up and dart to my room. It's kind of a mess of space rocks, knick-knacks from the outposts we've visited, clothes and books, but I know exactly where my hat is. I snatch up my favorite hat -a black military style cap with the Garrison insignia on the front- and tug my ears through the ear holes.

I'm about to run off when Mom says my name and holds up a dark blue vest.

Oops! I look down. I've got my jeans on, but I forgot my shirt like usual. Although, Caneen have enough fur, that I wonder sometimes why Mom insists on shirts. She says its a decency thing.

Anyway, once I put the vest on, I grab my runner's satchel from the back of the chair. Mom's already put Lumi's lunch inside with a fork, so I run right out the door.

* * *

It doesn't take long to pick up Lumi's scent. Everyone on the ATLAS has a distinct scent. Dad always smells like grease and sweat. Mom smells shampoo in the morning, but dirt and grass at the end of the day. Vista smell like perfume that makes me sneeze. Lumi smells like chemicals and pretzels.

After only two turns, I crash into someone and fall on my haunches. When I look up to apologize, I recognize the stern older face in an instant. I quickly scramble to stand on my hind paws and salute.

"Sorry, Captain Griffin," I say in my best official voice.

"What is the rush, cadet?"

All the kids on the ATLAS are called "cadets," even if they aren't training to fly. I heard once that it started as a joke by Commander Shirogane.

"I'm just looking for my sister, Lumi," I respond.

"Ah, I see." Captain Griffin waves a hand at me. Briefly, it looks like he is smiling as he says, "As you were, cadet."

"Thank you, sir!"

I'm gone before he can say anything else.

I do my best to avoid any more collisions and reach the main kitchen without incident. Ms. Carter, who runs the kitchen, tells me that Lumi stopped by for yogurt and pretzels. I thank her and move on.

Unfortunately, the trail leads right to an air vent in a secluded corner. I'm too big to fit in the ventilation shafts, and Lumi knows this. She probably did it on purpose, so I couldn't track her down.

"Lumi!" I shout into the vent. "This isn't over!"

It isn't until too late that I remember everyone on this level near an air vent probably heard me yell. Could have been worse, I guess. At least this is normal enough that no one will worry.

Undeterred by Lumi's escape, I start checking her normal spots. Our family's lab, the libraries, and the school lab turn out no Lumi after a varga of searching, and I've run out of places to look. Lumi's _always_ in one of those places!

Unless…

I groan, realizing that Lumi must have found a new hideout. She also knows that I get lost in the ATLAS a lot and stick to the main areas, so she probably hid out in one of the currently empty dorms that take up four levels of the ATLAS.

Regardless, I have a job to do. Once I track down Lumi, she can help me find the way back to our dorms. Unless she doesn't like that I found her and leaves me behind, which she has done before.

I run off again. I've never been late in finding my sister for meetings, and I don't want to start yet!

* * *

The first level of empty dorms hold nothing but dust and some forgotten items from the last bunch of fighters that we were moving. I skirt the halls to avoid the occasional maintenance crew and head up to the second level.

Four levels and three vargas later, there's still no sign of Lumi. I'm ready to give up and head back to the dorms (if I can find them) when I notice a door.

Okay, it's just a door, but when I open it, it has another set of stairs! I thought I was on the highest level of the ATLAS, but I guess I was wrong.

Curious, I started up the stairs. I thought that there would only be more dorms at the top, but I instead find myself in a large, open room. There's halls leading off in different directions and doors scattered across the walls. There's signs beside the halls and doors, naming places like a lounge, observatory, high caution labs, libraries-

Wait.

Lumi loves nothing more than labs. And second to labs is danger. A dangerous lab? My little sister would never resist something like that!

I'm running for the hall that the labs are supposed to be down, when I notice one of the doors along the wall are open. That's odd, since all the others are closed.

I creep over to the door, which has a sign reading "Planetarium" beside it, and peek inside. I grin when I see Lumi.

My little sister is seated on the floor of the large room. Lumi looks a lot like Mom, right down to the fur color, except her muzzle is kind of flat for a Caneen and she doesn't have any fur or claws on her hands. She's wearing a bright blue shirt with another one of her chemistry puns that I never get. Today's shows a test beaker and the words: "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate." She's bare-pawed like me, so I can see her prosthetic paw stuck out in front of her.

 _Lumi was born with weak bones in her lower body, so she wears braces on her legs and she can't move her tail at all. She got sick when she was three, and doctors had to amputate her left leg. Dad made her a prosthetic, which the two of them are always working on to improve._

On the walls are displayed images that I recognize -vaguely- to be the forest behind our house back on Earth.

I sneak up behind Lumi, which is easy to do on my bare paws. I grab her shoulders while shouting, "I found you!"

Lumi gives a shriek that is half scared, half indignant, and kicks off her prosthetic to slam into my stomach. I'm knocked onto my back, but I make sure that Lumi comes with me. Lumi squeals and squirms as I hug her to me, but I keep a tight hold on her until she gives up and slumps against my stomach.

Lumi cocks her head back to frown at me. "How'd you find me?"

"Same as always. Luck."

Lumi raspberries at me, as mature as always. She wriggles again, and this time I let her free. She rolls onto her stomach and plops her chin down on my chest.

I grin at her. Despite the less than a deca-pheob of difference between our ages, Lumi's more than a foot shorter than me. It makes it easy for her to sprawl on me, so I'm not about to complain.

"How long have you been up here?" I ask.

"Um…" Lumi rolls to the side so she can lift up her arms and pull up a holo-screen on her wrist-comp. "Six vargas."

I sit up and move Lumi off of me, nuzzling her ear to make her giggle. I reach into my satchel and hand over Lumi's packaged lunch.

"I'm good," Lumi says, pointing to the empty yogurt cups and a half-full bag of pretzels where she had been sitting.

I don't say anything, just pop the lid off of the container and hand it to Lumi with the fork. She doesn't take it at first, so I just wait with my arms out until she finally caves.

"We're making a stop today, and we're going to have visitors," I tell Lumi as she starts eating. "Mom doesn't want us to be late."

Lumi snickers into the bowl. "Are you sure we can't just stay here. After your greeting the scientists _last_ time…"

I snort hard at Lumi. It's not like last time was the first time I forgot myself and jumped on the visitors. I get kind of excited about newcomers. At least they usually just laugh with me about it!

"We still have to be there," I inform her.

"Fi-ine," Lumi says, drawing the word out dramatically. "But we've still got almost two vargas, right?"

"I think so."

"Cool!" Lumi bounces to her paws. "I gotta show you this!"

Lumi spreads her hands wide and beams at me. I look around the room again before speaking.

"Is this Earth?"

"Yep. If my coordinates are right, we're standing right where our house is on Earth!"

Even though I barely remember it, I don't doubt Lumi's memory. Dad says she has photographic memory. She remembers places that she has seen, and even if she doesn't know exactly where it is, she will remember it. She must have asked Mom about the forest, to know where it is from.

"And just wait, it gets even better!"

Lumi pulls up a holo-screen over her wrist and presses a few buttons. The lighting in the room changes as the "sun" quickly sets and a moon rises. Stars dot the dark sky.

"See, it's like nighttime on Earth!" Lumi says proudly. She plops down beside me and leans into me, while her eyes get huge. "Howl for me?"

"Howl? Right now? To a fake moon?" I stammer.

I only howl on rare occasions, and only when we are on a planet. It's another quirk of mine that has Dad shaking his head, though that might just be because I'm out so late when the howling urge hits me.

"But it's Earth's moon!" Lumi says earnestly.

And since, well, no one can say no to Lumi when she's giving the puppy-dog eyes, I finally agree.

All howls start the same. Three short barks, one louder than the other. I listen to the echo of the barks. They are kind of tinny in the room, but oh, well. After the echoes fade, I start in earnest.

There is no way to describe howling, it just happens. There's no words, but it is full of emotion.

Right then, I'm sad about seeing the home I left eleven years ago, but at the same time I'm happy that Lumi found a way to show it to me. And I'm glad that Lumi gets to see her home again, even in this odd way. My howls echo back and I'm sure I feel a breeze, so Lumi must have done something. Encouraged, I hold nothing back as I howl about the vastness of space, how I could run and run and never reach the end, full of mysteries I'll never understand, questions I could never think to ask…

"Mutt?"

Lumi's voice makes me jump and I look down at her. I didn't realize that I had stopped howling until then.

"Are you okay?" Lumi asked. "Your howling was different."

I squint thoughtfully. "It's because I'm inside."

"Not that kind of different."

I shrug, but I think I know what it was. I've only ever howled about the things I see on the planets whose moon I howl to. In space, there's too many things to howl about! It could take ages!

Speaking of…

"How long was I howling?"

"Not long, just-" Lumi breaks off as she checks the time. "Um… two vargas."

"Two vargas!?" In a tick, I'm on my paws and gathering the leftovers from Lumi to shove into my satchel. "We are so dead!"

"Definitely!" Lumi says with a grin. "Can't we stay here now? We're already late."

I'm _really_ tempted to stay like Lumi wants, but I can't disappoint Mom! Lumi knows that, so she didn't wait for me to answer before helping me finish up.

We both straighten and Lumi takes my paw, since she will be leading me back to the dorms. Before she moves, though, she looks up at me.

"Can we come back soon?"

"Sure! What other places does this show?"

"All sorts! Besides every single planet we've visited, there's hundreds more!"

I grin at the thought. "We are so coming back." I check my wrist-com. "As long as Mom doesn't ground us!"

Lumi laughs. "Run, Mutt, run!"

So, we run. We don't slow for a tick, and somehow manage to arrive just as the scientists' ship is docking.


	3. A Runner's Duty

There are four rules that a runner must allows follow.

deliver the package before going to do anything else

peeking in the packages we deliver

deliver

carrying the packages in your mouth

(Okay, that last one is mostly for me.)

Being a runner is a very important job, because we have to make sure everything gets to their proper place.

See, messages are easy to send on the ATLAS. There are public comms and everyone has a personal comm on their wrist to talk to whoever they want. Some, like Vista, use a special phone that allows them to talk to people days' travel away, like Earth!

Packages, though, you can't just send with your voice. Someone needs to carry them where they belong, and that's where us runners come in.

Most commonly, we carry packages between the labs. Sometimes, we deliver books to and from the library. We can fetch supplies from the docks for the engineers and mechanics.

We don't deliver food, though. I asked Uncle Hunk (he's not really my uncle; long story) why once and he told me that he didn't think those packages would be "secure."

Anyway! I'm a runner, along with my friends Tumble, Ember, Vulcan, Hannah, and Peter.

* * *

I'm delivering a package for my dad and have so far managed to not run into anyone, when Tumble comes running around the corner. We both see each other and try to dodge; Tumble tries to go over, and I try to duck under him.

That never works.

My head hits Tumble's feet, flinging him off-balance to land across my back. My paws go out from under me and I hit the ground on my stomach.

The wind's knocked out of me for a tick, my runner's satchel is jammed into my stomach, and my cap's slid over my eyes. But, most importantly, th package is still in my paws and held high above my head. Score!

"Oops, sorry, _hermano_ ," Tumble apologizes, climbing off me.

"All good, brother!"

Tumble and I call each other brothers. That's what _hermano_ means in Spanish, by the way. We aren't really brothers, but our families have known each other since before we were born, and we grew up together.

Curtis "Tumble" Weed is human, like most of the kids on the ATLAS are. He has olive skin that gets tanned anytime we go planetside, so it's only a few shades lighter than my fur. He likes to wear bright clothes, and usually smells like fruit and machine grease. The fruit is because his mom makes him eat fruit with every meal and the grease means that he's recently stopped by to see his dad, who is a mechanic.

"Where are you headed?" Tumble asks. I hear him walk around me, then the brim of my hat is tilted up so I can see him squating in front of me.

"Engine room. Lt. Blaze needs some lubricant," I say, showing Tumble the gray gunk in the box. "Good thing I didn't spill, huh?"

"Oh, yeah. I wouldn't want to explain how the hall suddenly became a skating rink," Tumble agrees.

Tumble takes the package so that I can stand, then gives it back. He flicks a hand through his black hair, making it stand in its usual spikes.

"I'll join you. I'm not on duty."

"Okay!"

Runner duty is always fun, but it's even better with Tumble!

* * *

We made it to the engine rooms on the back end of the ATLAS with only one more trip-up, when Tumble didn't move fast enough to duck under a pipe in one of the lesser used maintenance halls. He made sure to keep his head low for the rest of the trip.

The main engine room is a massive room in the back and center of the ATLAS. The room is three stories tall and very, very hot. The engines have to work hard to run the ATLAS.

 _All of the ATLAS' power comes from a tiny crystal on the bridge, but it doesn't just take a crystal to run a ship! The power goes to the engines, which gives the ATLAS thrust to move through space and controls the gravity, heating, etc in the different parts of the ship._

I'm sweating even before I haul open the oversized door, and then it's three times hotter. I don't even step inside, I just stick my head inside.

The engine room is so hot, that most beings can't go inside for longer than five doboshes without passing out from the heat. So, Skronians take care of the main engines.

I scan the room, where a dozen or so Skronians are checking valves and moving along the catwalks. There are a couple humans in heat-resistant suits in there as well.

"Excuse me!" I call over the sound of the engine to one of the mechanics near the door. He turns to me. "I'm looking for Lt. Blaze."

The Skronian nods and points at the door. I gladly retreat, not wanting a repeat of the time that I learned that, due to my thick fur, I can last about three doboshes before passing out. After a dobosh or so, the door is opened again, and three Skronians walk out.

"Ember! Vulcan!" I yelp happily when I see my friends.

Ember and Vulcan are the only non-human kids on the ship besides Vista, Lumi, and I. While they aren't as tall as their dad yet, they have the same gleaming armor-like skin and smoky scent. Lt. Blaze and Vulcan's skin is a dull reddish brown, but Ember's is bright red with little flecks of black. They all wear leather vests and shorts, and Lt. Blaze's is covered with grease and soot.

Tumble taps my shoulder before I can say anything else. "Rule number one."

"Oh, right!" I hold the box out to Lt. Blaze, who takes it carefully with his upper set of hands. "One box of lubricant, straight from the hold."

"Thank you," Lt. Blaze says in his rumbly voice.

I perform a quick salute, then look at Ember and Vulcan. Lt. Blaze knows exactly what I'm thinking and laughs.

"Go on, you two. I've held you in that noisy place long enough. Go have fun."

Ember perks up at the thought, the antenna that sit over her eyes lifting the slightest bit. Vulcan shrugs and gives a little grumble. He might be a runner like Ember, but I think he likes engineering better.

Lt. Blaze waves us off, but not before giving us some instructions. "I need you to take a message to the bridge for me."

We all nod. The comms don't function in the engine room, too much interference or something, so it's up to runners to take messages.

"Tell them that we've got to decrease speed, okay?" Lt. Blaze says.

Tumble and I look at each other. Decrease speed? Coming from Lt. Blaze, this meant only one thing: that the engines were having troubles.

"Don't look so concerned," Lt. Blaze tells us. "We just have some gears locking up on us and a few of the supports have cracked from the strain. It is some minor repair work, but something we can't do in space, okay?"

That explained the lubricant. I nod along with the others, then we're off and running. Once we're a few floors away from the bridge, Ember stops and so do the rest of us.

"Okay, who's telling the bridge?"

Several long ticks of silence follow the question, none of us wanting to volunteer. Reporting news on the bridge usually meant directly to Commander Shirogane. If we were lucky, he would be out patrolling or something and we could tell his second-in-command: Veronica.

Don't get me wrong, everyone on the bridge is nice as can be -everyone on the ATLAS is- it's just that no one wants to be the bearer of bad news to so many important people!

"This is ridiculous," Ember says. "Mutt, why not you?"

My ears flatten. "Uh-uh! I'm not stepping paw on the bridge, not after last time!"

" _Hermano,_ are you still talking about the noodle incident?" Tumble asks. "That was three pheobs ago."

"Still not happening," I insist.

"Well, I'd love to go…" Vulcan trails off, grinning because, no, he wouldn't love to go. "But everyone knows I'm not allowed on the bridge."

"Learn to control your fire, and you can have all the glory," Ember informs her little brother.

"Why don't you go?" Tumble asks Ember. "You're the oldest, therefore you should have the most important job."

"As oldest, it is also my job to check in with the other runners," Ember says smoothly. "Has anyone seen Hannah and Peter?"

"Hannah's in the school library," Tumble says. "Peter is…"

"Exactly," Ember says like that has solved it. "I need to find Peter."

"Okay, but who's bringing the message to the bridge?" I have to ask.

Tumble looks at me. "I'll go if you go."

I scowl. "Nope."

"How can you be so scared of the commander? He's your uncle!"

Yes, Commander Shirogane is my dad's brother-in-law, but that doesn't mean I talk to him a lot! Never mind bringing bad news!

"It's settled," Ember says. "Tumble and Mutt, you bring word to the bridge."

Tumble looks at her. "When did we settle that?"

"'We' didn't, 'I' did," Ember says smugly. "Meet us in the school library when you are done."

"Wha- hey!" I protest.

"Come on, Mutt. The Commander has got to be the nicest person on the ATLAS! It's not like you'll get in trouble for bringing Dad's message."

"Fine," I grind out. I grin at her the next tick, though. "But you're going to owe me."

Ember shoots me a playful salute as she and Vulcan head off. "Three peanut butter oat snacks, compliments of your Uncle Hunk, at your service!"

"Make it four!" I call after her.

Ember waves, then she and Vulcan vanish around the corner. I turn to Tumble, who's grinning.

"Come on, _hermano_ ," he says. "Let's go face the firing squad."

* * *

Luckily, we didn't have to go to the bridge. Unluckily, it's because we run into Commander Shirogane halfway there. Not literally, thankfully, but he came out of the hall we were headed for, and now I'm frozen stiff.

"Hello, Mutt and Curtis," the Commander greets, using Tumble's real name like all the adults do. "What are you up to?"

I gape at Commander Shirogane. I had been all prepared to run onto the bridge, yell the message to whoever was there, then turn tail and run. Somehow, I don't think it will work anymore.

Several staff members pass by, saluting to the Commander. He nods to them, but he keeps his attention on me. He has the same small, patient smile that is always there when I -try- to talk to him.

Luckily, Tumble's less intimidated by _the most important man on the ATLAS_ standing _right here_ and jumps in. "We were just headed for the bridge to deliver a message to you, sir."

He finishes the statement with a smart salute, which causes me to realize that I haven't even done that!

"I see." Commander Shirogane puts his hands -one flesh and the other metal- behind him. "What is the message, cadet?"

Tumble nudges me and murmurs, "Rule number three."

Tumble has very little -no, none at all- sympathy for me, apparently. But, he has a point. We were given a job, we must deliver!

I take a deep breath, smack myself in the face as I try to salute, then blurt out the message. It comes out like, "Lt. Blaze says we have to decrease speed, because the engines stiff and supports are break-"

Tumble breaks off my mess of a message by clamping either of his hands on the top and bottom of my muzzle. He shakes his head, and I shrug helplessly at him. Commander Shirogane's eyes are wide.

"I do not think it is that bad, sir," Tumble says, taking over again. "Lt. Blaze reported that a few joints have locked up and it has put strain on the supports. He recommended reducing speed until we can land to fix things."

"I see," the Commander says, relaxing. "Thank you for the message. I will see to it."

"Thank you, sir," Tumble says, releasing my muzzle to salute.

"Yes, thank you, sir _-ruf!_ " The last word comes out as a bark.

 _One of the characteristics shared between Caneen and the Earth canines is barking. In Caneen, it is usually as a nervous tic -as in a habit, not a bug- in younger Caneen when they are nervous or startled. The tic is grown out of as the Caneen ages, but even adult Caneen will bark, yelp, or whimper on occasion._

After that little slip, I can't hold myself back from my instincts screaming at me to flee. I manage a half-salute, then spin, drop on all fours, and run off. A couple yelps escape me as I weave between people, then I duck into an empty hall and book it away from there as fast as I can.

And that is why I don't talk to my only uncle actually related to me. It usually ends with me barking.

* * *

Tumble catches up to me a few halls from the library, where I've stopped for a water break.

"Wow, _hermano_ , I've never seen you like that," is the first thing that Tumble says. "I didn't realize the Commander made you so nervous."

I blink at him. "He does. But, it's over with. The others are probably waiting for us in the library by now."

We head off to the library, where only one of the other runners is present: Hannah Hannidottir. Along with her is Captain Leifsdottir.

The two of them look alike: on the small side, pale with blue eyes and light hair, freckles, and both are from the Earth continent Iceland. But, the only connection we've found is that Hannah's second-cousin _might_ have been neighbors with a kid who knew Capt. Leifsdottir's uncle. Both are also super smart and pretty quiet for the most part. I've never seen either of them without an official Garrison outfit.

Hannah looks up from the book that she and the captain are leaning over to whisper, "Ember and Vulcan are in the fiction section."

Of course. Of all us runners, only Hannah is really into the real stuff. And she's the youngest of us all at thirteen Earth years.

Tumble and I head over to the fiction section. Ember's leafing through a book, while Vulcan just stares at the books he's forbidden to touch.

"I thought you were looking for Peter," Tumble says accusingly.

Ember looks startled at Tumble's tone. I'm kind of surprised, too. Tumble's never held a grudge longer than two ticks. Unless it's with Mick, but those two have never gotten along for some reason.

"We did find him," Ember returns hotly.

And I mean _hotly._ She has to put the book down because her hands have started to smoke. Tumble's eyes narrow.

I glance at Vulcan, and see that he's surprised as well. I have to do something before Ember forgets herself and starts a fire!

I jump in between my friends and say brightly, "So, where's Peter?"

"He was on duty," Ember says, backing away. "He had one last thing to pick up, then he said he'd meet us at the kitchen."

"Do I need to, uh…" I point toward the door.

Peter sometimes "gets lost in his own little world," as Mom likes to say. He's so imaginative, that sometimes he forgets that he's on the ATLAS, not on a pirate ship or some unexplored cave. He's fun to be around, but hard to find.

"No need," Ember says. "But… let's head over to the kitchen right away."

I turn to Tumble, and am glad to see that he's expression is back to calm. He nods, so I dart and lead the way back to Hannah and the captain. Once we tell them our plan, Hannah reluctantly leaves the table and follows the rest of us outside the library.

"Peter's meeting us?" Hannah asks once we're outside. "Are you sure that's a good idea for him to be alone?"

What can I say? Peter's got a reputation.

"He'll be here," Ember says confidently. "He has a package to deliver."

"Ahh," the rest of us chorus.

Peter also never breaks rule number three.

"Wait, to who?" Tumble asks.

Ember smirks. "Me."

Tumble face-palms. "Why did we never think of that?"

"That is why I'm the leader."

Tumble snorts and bows down low, sweeping a hand back to keep his runner's satchel from sliding down. He says in an exaggerated, nasally voice, "Your majesty."

Since Ember's chuckling, I think it's safe to laugh along. Whatever was wrong with them a dobosh ago has been forgotten. Soon, we're all giggling as we turn and head toward the galley level.

* * *

The galley's always full of amazing smells, it's hard to not wander off. I clamp my jaws shut to keep from drooling and follow the others into one of the smaller side kitchens. A cheerful voice greets us.

"Morning, cadets!"

"Uncle Hunk!" I yelp happily.

Of all my uncles-that-aren't-really-my-uncles, Uncle Hunk is my favorite. He's always cheerful, treats us kids like adults, and smells like food!

Uncle Hunk sets aside the bowl he's holding to shake hands with my friends, then scratches me behind my floppy ears.

Little-known known fact about my Uncle Hunk: he gives the _best_ behind the ear scratches!

"Hey, watch it!"

Startled out of the ear-scratching daze, I turn toward the familiar voice.

Lumi's perched on a bar stool, protectively holding a jar. When I glance at the counter, I realize that spoons are scattered around and a few bowls are knocked over. Peter's standing on the opposite end of the counter, setting a box on the counter. I must have been so distracted when Uncle Hunk scratched my ear, that my tail started wagging.

"Oops, sorry," I apologize. I wrap my tail, which now has a smear of grease on it, around my legs. "I forgot."

"No harm done," Uncle Hunk says, picking up the mess.

I turn my attention to Lumi. "What are you doing here?"

Lumi shrugs, and Uncle Hunk answers for her, "Found her in the vents of the Yellow Lion's hanger."

I look at Lumi in shock. "Lumi! You know the hangers are restricted!"

Lumi blinks at me. "No one ever said anything about the vents."

Lumi focuses on the jar without another word. I lean down to see what has her attention in it, then notice the sweet smell coming from the jar.

"Why do you get to clean the peanut butter jar?" I whine, slumping down so I can put my chin on the counter.

"I was here first."

I snort, but accept the reason. Standing, I turn to the others. Peter's joined them, dark eyes focused on nothing while he quietly hums what sounds like the theme song of his favorite cartoon.

Peter Stone's skin is nearly as dark as my fur. His hair is black like Tumble's, but grows in short, tight curls so it's kind of bushy. His shirts are backward as often as they're forward, his jeans are scuffed, and he wears mismatched socks every day.

"Okay, we're all here," I say. "What next?"

"Nothing yet," Ember says. "Peter still has a delivery."

This attracts a few odd looks. Ember's got a mischievous grin on her face, and Vulcan's shifting like he has a secret.

"This isn't going to be another 'send Mutt and Tumble on a heart-attack inducing runner job' is it?" Tumble asks suspiciously.

"What, no!" Ember says, sounding hurt. "This is going to make up for that. Mr. Garrett?"

Uncle Hunk nods and points to the fridge behind him. Peter stares at him, then makes an "o" with his mouth and bounds over. He opens the door and leans inside to do something, then comes out holding a cardboard box.

Peter deliberately marches across the room and hands the box to me. Then, he says, "Ember sent me to deliver this to you."

I blink at him. "To me?"

"Yes, to you!" Ember shouts. "Open it! Open it!"

I cock my head, then put the box on the counter and open the flaps. The mouthwatering scent of peanut butter and oats wash over me, and I realize instantly what it is.

"Oat treats!"

Uncle Hunk hurriedly shushes me. "Oat snacks, remember."

Lumi, muzzle jammed into the peanut butter jar, mumbles, "Dad's not here, Mutt can call them treats."

I'm so excited that I… yep, I'm squealing. What? Uncle Hunk makes the _best_ peanut butter oat tre-snacks! I hug the box to me, then realize that there's over a dozen snacks inside!

"Enough for everyone! Thanks, Ember!"

I proudly hand out a palm-sized snack in the shape of a dog biscuit to everyone.

Vulcan spooks because it's started melting in his hands. Ember's trying to save it, but I think Uncle Hunk's suggestion to just shove it all into his mouth would be his best bet. Tumble's lost it, cracking up over the Skronian siblings, and Hannah's already started on her treat. Lumi's gone, having snagged her snack and jar, and run off. Peter's… just staring at his.

"Don't you like peanut butter oat snacks?" I ask.

"What about rule number four?" Peter asks.

Tumble, who's just barely calmed down, loses it again. I shake my head at Peter.

"You've already delivered it, though," I remind him.

"Oh." Peter stares at his snack, then bites off a corner.

I take Uncle Hunk's advice, and stick the whole thing in my mouth. I grin, making everyone groan because I've got a peanut buttery mess in my teeth, but I don't care. Because the only thing better than the snacks, is seeing everyone else enjoy them, too


End file.
